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Esmatlon
ATTENTION: This article is about the First World, which is no longer active. It is being kept for archival purposes, as it contains a significant amount of information that would otherwise be permanently lost, but be aware that it does not represent the current world in any way at all. Esmatlon (Esmadet: ˌhɛsməˈtɬɑŋ Hèsmetlàn) is a country in the south-eastern portion of the world map, and the home of the Esmatlan Government. It is directly adjacent to North Oinaa, and is connected to Dagtopia and Lenza via oversea bridges. Sènammak can be found just beyond the southern border, directly across from the capital city of Loekjuxl (known as Loe City in English). Notable Locations Most places worth noting exist within the capital city. These include Loe Castle, the Chief's main residence; the Esmatlan High Court; Vakzhjètàub (Vakshju's Hole), a large cave directly outside the city, once believed to be the home of a Vakshju, a dragon-like creature from local folklore; and the Loe City Spleef Arena. In addition, the city houses two teleport hubs. Hub 1, across the road from the Spleef Arena on Castle Street, is currently a general-purpose hub; however, once the hub(s) in Sènammak are built, it will likely be used only by close allies or other countries which choose to have a direct link to the city. Hub 2 is reserved for countries which are connected to the Esmatlan Government, or any government which replaces it in future. Language The local language, Esmadet (Esm.: ɛsˌmɛtɛˈti Hèsmètèti) is featured on the majority of signage, though English is also used alongside it for ease of understanding for tourists and other visitors. The language has little presence outside of the country, as most exported work is translated into other languages. The bulk of untranslated works are those which are heavily rooted in Esmatlan culture, and which are either deemed to conflict with foreign values or contain cultural references that would be particularly difficult to translate. History and Culture Early History The first writings documenting Esmatlan history appeared around 700 years ago, though the exact date is unknown. Many of these writings have since been lost, but from what remains of them, we can get a basic idea of what life was like in Esmatlon at the time. During this period, the country would be ruled by a king (though the Esmadet term, Zhangom, is more commonly translated as "Chief" in modern usage, and is a gender-neutral title), who was solely responsible for appointing governors. The Chief was believed to embody one of the gods of Kijatlùi, a polytheistic religion that was the dominant belief of the time, and as such, the monarchy was an inherently religious institution. While the Chief's position as a supposed embodiment of a god lent them a lot of power, the nature of the religion also helped to prevent them from taking too much control: all the gods were seen as equals, so the Chief could not risk taking actions which would be seen as disrespectful, or otherwise acting against, any of the other gods, who all had stakes in various aspects of daily life. This society was quite libertarian in many ways, particularly for the time, as the relative peace of this period, along with its freedom of knowledge, allowed for great development in local philosophy and science. That being said, many misconceptions still existed - much like in the history of any country - so certain practices of the time would likely be considered questionable at best in today's society. It is also worth noting that, outside of trade, there was very little interaction with other countries. 34 Years of Repression Around 300 years ago, widespread famine hit a large portion of the country, including the area around the capital. The ruling Chief, Zhangom Hatlulonèt Mokas, failed to effectively manage the problem, and a great degree of political unrest was brewing. A group of outlaws led by a man named Gàxles Tsekat used this to their advantage, quietly gathering support to overthrow the monarchy on the promise that they would help the country develop a greater connection with the outside world, increasing international trade and helping solve the food shortage. Within a decade, Gàxles had gathered a strong underground following, as well as a great deal of inside knowledge about the workings of Loe Castle. Overnight, his men raided the castle, displacing the Chief and his guards, and putting Gàxles himself in the seat of power as the newly-declared People's Representative. Most of the royal family were killed, but a few managed to escape capture and went into hiding. At first, not much changed. Gàxles held true to his promise of promoting foreign trade and relations; however, in a number of public statements he made, he claimed that the degree of openness in many aspects of Esmatlan culture was seen as inappropriate and dangerous by the outside world. These claims had little to no factual basis whatsoever, but served as an excuse for him to start pushing new laws which increasingly limited freedom of speech and of lifestyle; more and more, a great deal of censorship took place, and even statues and carvings of considerable historical significance suffered from officially-sanctioned vandalism, with works of art, literature, and even scientific or philosophical works being altered or destroyed as "obscene", all with the supposed aim of improving the country's foreign image. In reality, the world at large was unaware of what was occurring in Esmatlon. Contraband goods were not prevented from being exported, but were merely confiscated; Gàxles and his supporters would sell them for an increased price, unbeknownst to the merchants they had been taken from, earning him a great deal of wealth. Most of the censorship taking place was used to restrict knowledge and keep Gàxles in power. Around the 19th year of the Gàxles regime's reign, a slip-up by government workers attempting to confiscate a shipment of books led to the accidental public disclosure of their treatment of confiscated materials. The govt. cracked down heavily on anyone who was found to be spreading this information, but it gradually became public knowledge despite their actions. An increasing number of protests took place in the following years, most notably in Loekjuxl, where local artisans erected a pair of statues: one depicting Mìzha, the Kijatlùi goddess of wisdom, and another depicting Loxla, the god of health and fertility, representing freedom of mind and freedom of body, respectively. Within a few weeks of their creation, the statues were destroyed, and their creators were tried and executed for treason. A further 12½ years later, Gàxles passed away from a sudden illness. The government had little time to plan for this, and hurriedly appointed another member of their ranks, PR Tsàdìn, as the new leader; however, even among themselves, there was a great deal of disagreement about how to move forward, and many were actively opposed to his leadership. The laws they had brought in were now less strictly enforced, as much of their effort was spent merely trying to get everyone to work together again. Having caught wind of these difficulties, and seeing an opportunity, the Loe Merchants' and Armourers' Guilds came together to pool resources and developed a strategy to end the regime's rule. A search party was sent out to find what remained of the royal family, and when news of the mission's success reached them, they set their plan in motion, storming the castle at its weakest point and taking it back from Tsàdìn. The former Chief's granddaughter, the only remaining heir, took her place on the throne as Zhangom Loxlèt Musèi; those who were not killed in the battle, including Tsàdìn himself, were charged with high treason against the people of Esmatlon, and were sentenced to life imprisonment. The Age of Democracy While Musèi ruled fairly, and the freedoms that had been taken by Gàxles had been restored, the events of that period left the wider population in fear that another leader might take control in a similar way. Following the appointment of the new Chief of Esmatlon, she came to an agreement with the Guilds that had helped her: the Chief would rule jointly with a democratically-elected government, headed by a leader known as the Tlàd Mànu (Head of State), chosen by the elected party. Any laws that were passed would have to be ratified by both parties, which acts as a sort of failsafe. So far, this has continued into the present day. Current Events Over the past few decades, Esmatlon has been governed primarily by the Libertarian Party, which maintains a laissez-faire1 approach to social issues, mostly limiting itself to maintaining public services, and regulating businesses just enough to help prevent monopolies from taking hold. In the current cultural climate, all political parties must tread carefully to avoid losing votes, as even laws made with the intention of improving safety can cause significant backlash - the Esmatlan people are very proud of their live-and-let-live attitude, and any move which is seen to restrict freedom unnecessarily is a surefire way to lose popularity. Recently, the Libertarians have made a greater push towards global trade and cross-cultural communication. While most people are in support of this stance, believing that Esmatlon can benefit from working with other nations and be a force for good in the world, there is also a significant minority who are afraid that mixing with other cultures could put an end to their way of life, restricting freedoms to fit in with foreign values as Gàxles had claimed to do over a century before. In protest against the Libertarians' advances, an opposing party has formed: the Esmatlan People's Party, more commonly known by Hèskènat, a shortening of its Esmadet name. Most political experts agree that Hèskènat's policies are unrealistic, and would likely have a negative impact on the economy due to their proposed restrictions on imported and exported goods. Despite these criticisms, they have a notable following, as their positions on many issues appeal to those who are concerned or fearful about foreign relations. Nevertheless, current statistics suggest it is highly unlikely that they will be elected, but they do serve as an obstruction to the Libertarians' plans; though with relations with allied countries such as Lenza and Dagtopia improving, they are projected to lose much of their support in the near-to-mid-term future. Notes 1Laissez-faire: (noun) the practice or doctrine of noninterference in the affairs of others, especially with reference to individual conduct or freedom of action (as defined by www.dictionary.com).